Thursday, October 14, 2010

Medically, it's called an Addadicktome.

Some say that the popularity of social networking web sites like Twitter and Facebook is due to the idea that we all want to feel as though we belong to something. Well, maybe I'm the one who says that, but I take liberties with the idea that perhaps more than one of us has the same thought every now and then.
Anyway, I think the crux of the matter is that we don't like to feel as though we are alone in the world. Hence the popularity of those so-called "reality shows," where so-called "regular people" partake in contests and other forms of entertainment and are either judged by famous people or kicked off the show because they end up being very annoying. Either way, there are a lot of them, and it's primarily because there are a lot of people who don't like feeling ordinary, and being a part of something with national exposure makes them feel a little less ordinary - for a while anyway.
Then, there are the pure thrill-seekers. Those who are ordinary and decide to foist themselves on society by pretending to be something they're not. Such as those people who sue an organization to become a member of something for which their membership has been denied - like girls wanting to be boy scouts or a woman who wants to join a men's club. It seems as though it's always women wanting to join something that is exclusively for men, and almost never men wanting to join a women's organization. Until now:

A transgender golfer is challenging the LPGA's "female at birth" rule, claiming that it unfairly infringes upon her civil rights.

First, the background: Lana Lawless is the plaintiff. Five years ago, Lawless underwent a sex change operation. Two years ago, she won a 2008 women's long-drive competition with a tee shot of 254 yards. But now, she's run up against the LPGA -- which, surprisingly enough, had a "female at birth" rule already on the books -- and she's finding it difficult to make headway.

They always take the civil rights defense, even though it isn't specifically a civil rights issue. It's a man who thinks he is a woman merely because he had a so-called "sex change operation." Those of us with a brain know that it is impossible to change ones sex. You can have a medical procedure to help you grow a penis and take hormones to help you grow breasts, but unless you have a uterus, menstruate and give birth - guess what - you're a man, baby.

As a result, Lawless has filed suit in San Francisco federal court with the intention of barring the LPGA from holding tournaments in California until it changes its policy banning transgender players. Also named in the suit are three LPGA sponsors and the Long Drivers of America, which sponsored the '08 contest she won. This year, the company changed its rules on transgender players to match those of the LPGA.

"I am, in all respects, legally and physically female," Lawless said in a statement Wednesday. "The state of California recognizes me as such and the LPGA should not be permitted to come into California and blatantly violate my rights. I just want to have the same opportunity to play professional golf as any other woman."

You may be legally female, but you're not physically female, fella. So go ahead and sue the LPGA. The big L stands for Ladies, and you ain't one.

Besides, Phil Mickleson has bigger boobs than you, and he plays on the men's tour.

2 comments:

Big Red Dawg said...

ANother interesting post. Can't wait to see how the suit gets settled.
One further note on RReality Shows - the other reason they are so popular is that they are a real profit center for the networks. Compared to your normal "scripted show" (as if most reality shows ain't scripted) they cost much less to produce and show a fatter bottom line.

Anthony said...

Absolutely. The producers don't have to pay "talent." On the other hand, they lose out to big syndication deals, as I have yet to see (fortunately) any of them being repeated on local TV.
Why do we enjoy endless "encore performances" of our favorite sitcoms but we don't get the same treat for "The Biggest Loser" or "Big Brother?" Lucky for us.

And yes, they aren't literally scripted, but everybody knows which buttons to push.